Atari recently sent out a Press Release announcing that they would be expanding into new markets, specifically Gambling, YouTube, and LGBT. It’s all a part of their strategy to get back to relevancy, but will it work?
Atari’s new mobile simulator called “Pridefest” allows players to plan, organize, and decorate their own pride festival. In addition to throwing your own parade, you can make an avatar and visit your friends cities.
So how are people reacting to this?
Kudos to Atari for making an LGBT game.
— Reboot (@Just_Reboot) July 17, 2014
Mad props to @atari for making good on LGBT promises with the game Pridefest. I know it’s all about the money, but it’s still cool. #gaymer
— Unicorn of Love (@ahoychrispineda) July 18, 2014
@PridefestGame Excited Atari joining the party! The more LGBT games the better. Can’t wait to play it. Can we get a Space Tyrant float pls?
— Luke Miller (@dodgyville) July 17, 2014
Most of it is positive, but some mixed. One repeated concern is that Atari is just trying to monetize on the mostly untapped gay gamer community. Another is that there is an obvious exclusion. I don’t think the goal was ever to propel the industry into making games exclusively for the LGBT community, but to include them in the games we know and love. We have two sides of the spectrum where games that do include same-sex relationships get backlash like Mass Effect; and games that refuse to include the LGBT community at all like the most recent Tomodachi Life.
Even if some argue that Atari is making Pridefest for the wrong reasons, at least it’s being done. Also, Atari is supporting the community after all, they were one of the largest sponsors of GaymerX this year.
So what do you think about Pridefest? Statement or stunt, helpful or harmful?
